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Chase Ink Business Preferred Versus Ink Business Cash

May 18, 2018
by
Million Mile Secrets Million Mile Secrets

We devote thousands of hours of research to help you get Big Travel with Small Money. You support us by signing-up for credit cards through partner links which earn us a commission. Here’s our full Advertising Policy.

Million Mile SecretsMillion Mile Secrets Team

We devote thousands of hours of research to help you get Big Travel with Small Money. You support us by signing-up for credit cards through partner links which earn us a commission. Here’s our full Advertising Policy.

You can redeem the sign-up bonus for $800 in cash back OR $1,000 in travel by booking airfare, hotel stays, or car rentals through the Chase’s travel portal (withno blackout dates!).

You’ll also get:

3X Chase Ultimate Rewards points for every $1 you spend on travel, shipping purchases, internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites, and search engines (up to a maximum of $150,000 in combined purchases per account anniversary year)

But if you pair your Ink Business Cash card with another eligible Chase card, you can combine your points and transfer them to travel partners.

It’s simple to combine points. But it’s an extra step some folks might not want to bother with.

That said, Million Mile Secrets team member Scott uses his Ink Business Cash frequently for business meals and to pay his home office internet bill. Then, he moves the Chase Ultimate Rewards points he accumulates to his Chase Sapphire Preferred. That’s how he books free beachside stays at all-inclusive Hyatt resorts, like the Hyatt Zilara Cancun.

Ink Business Cash Cardholders Can Get Big Travel! But You’ll Have to Pair Your Card With Another Eligible Chase Ultimate Rewards Point Earning Credit Card. This Way, You Can Combine Points and Transfer Them to Travel Partners, Like Hyatt!

At a minimum, these points are worth $300 in cash back. So even after paying the $95 annual fee, you’ll still come out $205 ahead (30,000 points = $300 cash back – $95 annual fee).

But you can potentially use 30,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points for $1,000+ worth of travel. For example, you can transfer these points to Hyatt and book a free night at a luxury hotel, like the Park Hyatt Sydney. Room nights that at this hotel cost more than $1,000 if you pay cash!

If Your’e Savvy, the Extra 30,000 Points With the Ink Business Preferred Sign-Up Bonus Can Be Worth $1,000 in Travel! That’s Enough Points for a Free Night at Top Tier Hyatt Hotels, Like the Park Hyatt Sydney!

Consider Your Small Business Spending Habits

For example, the Chase Ink Cash card earns 5X rewards on purchases at office supply stores. And the Chase Ink Business Preferred does NOT. I know lots of small business owners spend a decent amount in that category. So it could be worth earning a smaller sign-up bonus in the near term and making it up with bonus points from business purchases in the future!

If You Make Frequent Purchases at Office Supply Stores, the Ink Business Cash Might Be a Better Option Because You’ll Earn 5% Cash Back (5X Bonus Points!)

That said, consider if your business spends a lot on travel. In that case, the Ink Business Preferred card is a better option. Because it earns 3X bonus Chase Ultimate Rewards points for travel expenses. And the Ink Business Cash card does NOT include travel in any bonus categories.

Bottom Line

The Ink Business Cash card has no annual fee. And the rewards you earn can potentially be more valuable if you pair it with another eligible Chase cards.

But the Ink Business Preferred is a better option for folks looking to get Big Travel with Small Money! The 80,000-point sign-up bonus is worth $1,000 in travel if you book through the Chase travel portal. And you have the ability to transfer points directly to airline and hotel partners like Hyatt, Southwest, and United Airlines for potentially even more value.

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N/A

17.99% - 22.99% Variable

$95

Yes

Rates & Fees

Other

Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)

Another way to do it with (2) cards:#1: Bus Cash: 5X on office supply; no AF#2: Sapphire Reserve: 3X travel; $450 AF, but max $300 Travel credit bring annual cost down to $150, which is only $55 more than CSP, and you get higher bonus on travel (3X vs 2X), pt higher value of points (1.5 ct vs 1.25 ct).

I have the now discontinued Chase Ink Bold and was wondering if you’d recommend getting the Ink Business Cash card. I do a lot of spending at office supply stores, which is how the Ink Bold caught my eye initially. But if I can avoid an annual fee, that’d be even better. Also, do you know if I’d be eligible for the sign up bonus? It’s been more than 2 years since I got my Ink Bold.

Yet cool to contemplate adding the Ink Business Preferred…. Quick question, have you or any readers seen any confirmation of recent reports/claims that using Ink Bus Pref. via Plastiq codes as travel? (and thus 3%) Rather dubious of this, or even if it’s true, how long it will last… It once did via CSR too….

I have the CSR and let’s put it this way – I am a VERY good customer of theirs. So, when I applied for the Ink card, I was surprised how many hoops they made me jump through to qualify – and eventually they turned me down.

That’s a bummer. Business card applications are a bit more complicated than personal applications for sure. And both versions of the Chase Ink card are subject to the 5/24 rule. So maybe that’s the reason you weren’t approved.

Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)